Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-18
The Art of Co,lrtship.

A writer in the st. Louis Globe Dem.
ocrat, who recently discovered q fugI
tive copy Of . book published quar-
ter Of q century ago and entitle:..
"Courtship Made Easy" furnishes the
world an interesting summary Of con.
tents. The work purports to have
been written by a man who was thrice
widower and contains certain sug.
gestions to be utilized by ladies in af.
fairs of the heart. The triple widow
er seems to take it for granted that
all girls know how, and whom, and
when, and where to court, and gives
them hints in only two matters-man-
aging q beau so as to make him pro.
pose marriage and the delicate and
skillful methods required to trap a
bachelor. Anent the first he says:
"The usual plan to bring about
proposal of marriage from a backward
youth is an appeal from the lady to
her father or mother. There is not
the least inpropriety in the demand
OF parent as to the intentions of q
suitor. Some young ladies are too
sensitive to make such an appeal and
to these we would recommend the fol-
lowing course: When your lover
makes his, stated visits. turn your
conversation to the subject OF mar
riage as often as possible-gossip
about your newly-married friends and
those who are supposed to be en-
gagged. If you know OF a positive en-
gagement that exists, state that fact;
and If the couple SO engaged have had
but q brief courtship commend their
promptness. If thelover is inclined to
make a proposal and is not exceeding.
ly stupid he will take hints which you
can easily give in these conversations.
Another plan is to make him Jealous
by pretending to receive the attentions
OF some other gentleman OF your &C.
quaintance. But this is more difficult
and is sometimes dangerous. There
is no improperly in a. lady's taking
any reasonable measures to induce
her beau to make his proposal when
he is either backward, slow, or bash
full"
These methods may be applied at
the proper time to "old bachelors"
as we'll as to young men. Bachelors
are not easily caught. They are nat
urally distrustful OF women and eau
tious regarding their advances. They
are afraid to propose marriage and
will "hy off tue handle" if they sus.
pect any design on the part of the la.
dy who is sewing on their buttons or
hemming their handkerchiefs. There
are only two ways of trapping them
one is by endeavoring to make them
pop the question, the other is by pop.
ping the question yourself, if you are
g. female and want the "old bach"
Here, girls, is what you must do to
induce him to propose:
You should take occasion. to paint
the delights of "a home" in glowing
colors. Speak of your married friends
who live happily, and whose homes
are like q little paradise, and all that
sort of thing. You need not allude to
the ''little cherubs'' at all, as bachelors
are not particularly enthusiastic in
their favor. Indeed it would be well
to select such married friends for
models as have not been blessed
with offspring, if you know OF
any. After a. thorough lnitia.
tion of your bachelor lover into these
matrimonial mysteries, you may ex-
pect his proposal; but if he still neg
lects to make it, repeat some earnest
picture of a happy home, and state to
him frankly that it is your ambition
to become the misstress of such par
adise-that you have never, until our
acquaintance with him, realized the
fact that q man lived on this earth
who could make home for you hap
py. etc.
These were the arts and blandish.
ments of thirty years ago. They are
not in existence now-not in the neigh.
borhood of St. Louis at least-and it
is doubtful if the remotest corners OF
the earth narbor them. They were
sweetly simple and innocent arts, just
like the simple, honest, innocent, slow.
II